the trick to save a fortune this Christmas

Christmas food prices continue to rise during the month of December with a week left until Christmas Eve dinner. According to data from the Christmas price observatory of the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU), Up to seven foods have reached historic highs in cost.

Among them, one of the products most in demand by Spaniards stands out: cut Iberian bait ham, which is already close to €68/kg. This delicacy from Iberian pork is a classic at almost all family and friend gatherings that are celebrated during these dates. Although this year we will have to dig a little deeper into our pockets to taste this marvel of gastronomy, there is a formula so that consuming Iberian ham during these holidays will comes out for half the price to the consumer.

This is stated by the OCU in a report in which it analyzes the prices of Iberian ham and shoulder for sale on-line and makes it clear that the purchase of an entire piece may involve a savings of around 50%.

This document reveals enormous differences “between products sold sliced ​​and whole pieces” even “after removing the waste (the bone and skin that covers the piece)”, which represents 50% of the weight for a ham and 60% for a shoulder.

In this way, this group of consumers advises that “if this Christmas you plan to consume more than 5 kg of Iberian ham or 4 kg of shoulder, “It is very economical to buy a whole piece” and even if you choose to “ask the butcher to cut it and pack it in vacuum packages.”

Because, this organization emphasizes, “even adding the cost of the cut, which varies between 30 and 50 euros for the whole piece, the final price will barely be half that if it is bought little by little already sliced.” The reason for this price difference is found in the fact that The trays, vacuum packaging and handling of the ham have an added cost both in terms of money and time.

Cebo ham, the most economical

Regarding the price, the OCU report recalls that the final price depends, above all, on the type of breeding and feeding of the animal. Thus, the Iberian bait ham (white label) -half Duroc, half Iberian, fed with feed and raised in a feedlot that is identified with a white label- is the most economical of all; while the best and most expensive product is the 100% Iberian acorn-fed ham (black label)of completely Iberian origin, raised in the pasture with total freedom and fed with acorns, grass and natural resources. This type of sliced ​​ham cost an average of €219/kg a year ago, compared to €178/kg for the sliced ​​shoulder, while a whole piece already cleaned cost €103/kg for the ham and €84/kg for the shoulder.

The OCU has also analyzed the identification labeling of the type of Iberian ham and “has not detected attempts to appear superior”although he has assured that the packaged sliced ​​products are not easy to read because “sometimes it is indicated in the form of a sticker or stamp, other times on a square or a triangle and also using very different fonts.”

For this reason, the consumer organization has asked the Ministry of Agriculture “orn common sliced ​​format that clearly identifies its denomination, on which the price and quality depend“, something that “is already done in other types of quality labels such as ETG, PGI, DOP and in vegan or gluten-free products.”

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